And the whole congregation of the children of Israel came to the desert of Zin on the tenth day of the month Nisan. And Miriam died there, and was buried there.⁠a And as on account of the innocency of Miriam a well had been given, so when she died the well was hidden, and the congregation had no water. And they gathered against Mosheh and Aharon, and the people contended with Mosheh, and said, Would that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! And why hast thou brought the congregation of the Lord into this desert, that we and our cattle may die here? And why didst thou make us come up out of Mizraim., to bring us to this evil place, a place which is not fit for sowing, or for planting fig trees, or vines, or pomegranates, and where there is no water to drink? And Mosheh and Aharon went from the face of the murmuring congregation to the door of the tabernacle of ordinance, and bowed upon their faces, and the Glory of the Lord's Shekinah was revealed to them. And the Lord spake with Mosheh, saying: Take the rod of the miracles, and gather the congregation, thou, and Aharon thy brother, and both of you adjure the rock, by the Great and manifested Name, while they look on, and it shall give forth its waters: but if it refuse to bring forth, smite thou it once with the rod that is in thy hand, and thou wilt bring out water for them from the rock, that the congregation and their cattle may drink. And Mosheh took the rod of the miracles from before the Lord, as he had commanded him. And Mosheh and Aharon gathered the congregation together before the rock. And Mosheh said to them, Hear now, rebels: is it possible for us to bring forth water for you from this rock? And Mosheh lifted up his hand, and with his rod struck the rock two times: at the first time it dropped blood; but at the second time there came forth a multitude of waters.⁠b And the congregation and their cattle drank. But the Lord spake to Mosheh and Aharon with the oath, Because ye have not believed in My Word, to sanctify Me in the sight of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land that I will give them. These are the Waters of Contention, where the sons of Israel contended before the Lord on account of the well that had been hidden; and He was sanctified in them, in Mosheh and Aharon, when (the waters) were given to them. Then Mosheh sent messengers from Rekem unto the king of Edom, saying, Thus saith thy brother Israel. Thou hast known all the trouble that hath found us; that our fathers went down into Mizraim and dwelt in Mizraim many days, and the Mizraee afflicted us and our fathers. And we prayed before the Lord, who heard our prayers, and sent one of the ministering angels to lead us out of Mizraim: and, behold, we are in Rekem, a city built on the side of thy border. Let us now pass through thy land: we will not seduce virgins, nor carry off the betrothed, nor commit adultery: on the king's highway, under the heavens, we will go forward, and turn not to the right or to the left, to do any injury in the public way while we pass through thy border. But Edomea answered him, You shall not go through my coast, lest I come to meet thee with the unsheathed sword. And Israel said to him, We would go by the king's highway; if we drink thy waters, I and my cattle, I will give thee the price of their value. I will only pass through, without doing wrong. But he said, You shall not pass through. And Edomea came out to meet him with a large army and with a strong hand. So Edomea would not suffer Israel to pass through his coast; and Israel turned away from him, because it was commanded from before the Word of the Heavens that they should not set battle in array against them, forasmuch as the time was not yet come when the punishment of Edom should be given into their hands. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from Rekem, and came unto Mount Umanom. And the Lord spake unto Mosheh in the Mount Umanom, on the coast of the land of Edom, saying: Aharon shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because you were rebels against My Word at the Waters of Contention. Take Aharon and Elazar his son, and make them come up to Mount Umanom. And thou shalt strip Aharon of his vestments, the adornment (glory) of the priesthood, and put them on Elazar his son; but Aharon shall be gathered, and die there. And Mosheh did as the Lord commanded him. And they ascended Mount Umanom, in the view of all the congregation. And Mosheh stripped Aharon of his vestments, the priestly decoration, and put them on Elazar his son; and Aharon died there on the summit of the mountain and Mosheh and Elazar came down from the mount. And when the soul of Aharon was at rest, the Cloud of Glory was lifted up on the first day of the month Ab; and all the congregation beheld Mosheh come down from the mountain with rent garments; and he wept and said, Woe unto me, for thee, my brother Aharon, the pillar of Israel's prayers! And they too wept for Aharon thirty days, the men and the women of Israel.